


A-Camping We Will Go

by ElegantButler



Series: Bryce's New Beginning [2]
Category: Max Headroom - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-18 13:44:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14853890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElegantButler/pseuds/ElegantButler
Summary: Bryce Morven and his new family spend a week camping at a farm in Cornwall.





	1. Behold! The Baby Bear Yurt!

Max Headroom: A-Camping We Will Go

Chapter 01: Behold! The Baby Bear Yurt!

Ask any English boy of sixteen where he would like to be spending a one-week vacation in the summertime, once you’ve managed to turn him away from the TV long enough to let him know he’s going on one, and you’re leaving the TV behind so you’ll only get the local channels they have on the tiny sets in the campground snack bar. Once he’s got over the shock of being basically without television for a week, he will tell you that he wants to engage in sports, or go fishing. He might even just want to go to the beach.

One thing he will not put anywhere on his list of things to do is to spend that week in the Baby Bear Yurt of the South Penquite Farm in Cornwall.

It is a quaint little camping abode. Round in shape, it has one bed, though it also boasts a small sofa which can be slept on if the sleeper doesn’t mind spending the entire night in the fetal position. Multicolored rugs and horizontally striped walls in pastel pinks and blues give it a feeling of childhood and easier times. It looks wonderfully cheerful and roomy. It is not, however, the type of room a sixteen year old or a twenty year old would want to be caught dead in.

 

Dan Morven and his younger brother, Bryce, weren’t dead. But they were currently in the Baby Bear Yurt. And neither of them found it very appealing.

“It’ll grow on you,” their mother had told them. “I think it looks nice.”

“It looks like grandma’s quilting drawer exploded all over it!” Dan exclaimed.

Mrs. Morven laughed. “Well, you won’t be spending much time in it,” she assured them. “We’ve got a lot to do while we’re here. Now, finish unpacking. I want to start the farm walk as soon as possible. It takes a few hours if we do it properly and we have to have lunch first.”

“Can we stop at the snack bar?” Bryce asked, hopefully.

“Your father made some sandwiches before we came,” his mother replied. “We’ll get them out of the cooler after you and your brother finish unpacking.”

Bryce turned to his brother after their mother left the yurt.

“I get the bed,” he said.

“Nope,” Dan shook his head. “You’re shorter so you’ll fit better on the sofa.”

“I’m not even an inch shorter than you,” Bryce argued.

“You’re two inches shorter,” Dan corrected him. “And anyhow, I’m the older brother, so I get the bed.”

“Okay,” Bryce decided. Then with a mischievous grin he added. “But you have to sleep under the pink quilt.”

“Fine,” Dan told him as they unpacked. “I thought something like this might happen. So I brought you a little friend to sleep with. If I get the quilt, you get this…”

He tossed a small stuffed animal to Bryce.

Bryce caught it and his eyes went wide in amused horror. It was a little pink and blue pastel panda in lime green overalls.

“What level of Hell did you venture into for this?” he laughed.

“The ninth,” Dan chuckled as he quickly pulled out his camera and took a snapshot before Bryce could drop the panda.

“You better not show that to anyone outside this family, Dan!” Bryce warned. 

Dan laughed, not making any promises.


	2. Day One: Part One

Chapter 02: Day One: Part One

“Oh, look,” Bryce said around a bite of a turkey cold cut sandwich, “I think it’s going to rain.”

Mrs. Morven gave him a stern look. “It’s not going to rain,” she told him. “And don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Bryce finished the bit of sandwich he was eating. “Yes, mom,” he said, agreeably.

Mr. Morven looked up from the map he had been studying.

“After we’ve finished eating and clean up,” he said, “we’ll start the farm walk. The map says our starting point is a little spot on Bodmin Moor called Pendrift Downs.”

Mrs. Morven leaned over to get a better look at the map.

“It looks lovely,” she said with a smile in her voice. “Isn’t it nice to be outdoors enjoying nature rather than being cooped up in front of a TV screen or a computer all day?”

“She’s asking,” Dan stage-whispered to Bryce, “if we’d rather enjoy the wonderful smells of cows and sheep as we’re dampened by the mist, or if we’d prefer to stay warm and dry while watching television.”

“I know what I’d pick,” Bryce said in an equally exaggerated whisper.

“Guess you boys must be afraid of the Beast of Bodmin, then,” Mr. Morven shook his head. “Didn’t think my sons would be cowards.”

“Beast?” Dan asked, putting down his sandwich. “What beast?”

“He’s just having us on,” Bryce laughed.

“Am I?” Dan and Bryce’s father placed the map before them, showing an area that had been circled.

“That’s the part of the moor where the Beast is most frequently known to attack.” he warned. He appeared to give it some thought. “You know,” he told Mrs. Morven, “perhaps we shouldn’t go on this farm walk if the boys are too scared?”

“No, we’ll go,” Dan said, resolutely. “We’re not afraid, are we Bryce?”

“Nope,” Bryce agreed. “We’re as brave as Shaggy and Scooby.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “Over three centuries of culture and heroes, plus the fact that he’s a super-genius, and baby brother here compares us to Shaggy and Scooby!”

“I’m recovering,” Bryce informed him, “I’m still partly stunned from looking inside the Baby Bear Yurt,”

“I’m sleeping in there, too,” Dan remarked as he ruffled Bryce’s hair.

They soon finished their sandwiches. 

Mrs. Morven gathered up the garbage and put it in 

 

A small number of booted Bantams followed them to the gates at the edge of the moor. 

“Looks like we’ve got an escort,” Dan laughed. 

“Well, we certain don’t have anything to fear with the Bantam Brigade at our side,” Bryce agreed, cheerfully.

“Well,” Mr. Morven announced as they passed through the wooden gates, “we’ve now crossed into Pendrift Downs.” 

They walked in silence for a bit, each of them taking in the moor’s natural beauty.

Bryce reflected to himself that it wasn’t that long ago that he was sitting at his computer back at Network 23 taking orders from Cheviot and having his work constantly interrupted by Edison Carter. While he kind of missed Edison, he certainly didn’t miss the daily demands that he and Cheviot had put on him.

“So, what kind of beast is it that’s supposed to roam here?” Dan asked as a sudden downpour drenched them.

“A wet one,” Bryce replied.

“Where did all this rain come from?” Mrs. Morven asked.

“Peninsular convergence,” Mr. Morven replied. “Around here it’s known as the Brown Willy Effect. The name comes from one of the hills in the moor. It’s name means ‘Hill of Swallows’.”

“Shall we turn back then?” Mrs. Morven suggested.

“What do you think, boys?” Mr. Morven asked. “You want to try again later or do you want to just ignore the rain?”

A clap of thunder sounded loudly nearby.

“We’d better get back,” Mrs. Morven decided. “This place has been around since prehistoric days, so I think it’ll be here tomorrow. We’ll come back then.”

“So what do we do in the meantime?” Mr. Morven asked.

“I’m not staying in the Baby Bear Yurt all day,” Bryce remarked.

“Well,” Mrs. Morven suggested, “What about the Maritime Museum? It’s a bit of a drive, but it might be a good idea.”

Mr. Morven thought about it. “You up for a trip to the museum, boys?” he asked.

Dan and Bryce both nodded enthusiastically and followed their parents to the car.

As they drove to the museum, Bryce looked out the car window. Even though he’d seen it on the trip out, he was still fascinated by the clear view of the horizon. The city where he’d grown up was dominated by shopping centers and skyscrapers. The latter buildings were chiefly owned by Television Networks. Those that were not were mostly owned by Zik Zak and the last few were owned by Zik Zak’s only competitor, Zlin.

Dan saw that his little brother was lost in thought and was about to give him an old-fashioned wet-willie when their mother spoke.

“Are you boys enjoying the ride?” she asked.

“Yes, mom,” Bryce remarked, turning from the window. He gave his older brother a what-are-you-up-to look and Dan leaned back after picking an imaginary bit of fluff from Bryce’s hair.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes,” Mr. Morven told them. “I expect you both to behave.”

“I think you’re expecting too much,” Mrs. Morven remarked.

“Well, just as long as they don’t wreck the place,” Mr. Morven laughed.

He was joking, of course. The whole family knew that. On the other hand, the first few days Dan had known Bryce, he had tried to get him to join him in a few practical jokes.

Bryce had simply remarked that he didn’t understand the point of it, since the setup was usually so elaborate and the payoff often backfired in a bad way and was usually only funny to the perpetrator when it did work.

In the end, Dan had decided that Bryce was not jokester material. What Bryce was was his baby brother, plain and simple.

 

They walked in and Mr. Morven paid the admission.

One of the boats caught Bryce’s attention and he went to examine it. He looked at the dark green hull as he walked from aft to stern and read the name Waterlily on it.

Mrs. Morven joined him, looking at the information plaque. “It says this boat has always been owned by the Thornycroft family.” she summarized. “It was built as a party boat in 1866. Apparently back then it was fashionable for the affluent to hold luxurious parties on the water. It says here that it was fitted temporarily with a petrol motor in 1914, but was refitted with a steam engine in 1978.”

Bryce gave a little nod of appreciation as he looked at the old steam boat. It wasn’t easy at the distance he was permitted to look at her from to see inside the cabin windows. He did a few quick calculations and turned to his mother.

“I’m guessing it would hold about about ten or fifteen people,” he told her.

Mrs. Morven thought about it. He would’ve be right, except for one thing.

“Given the clothing styles of the time,” she corrected, “I suspect they got around six or seven people aboard comfortably. Women’s skirts were very bulky at the time,” she explained.

“I didn’t know that,” Bryce confessed.

“You don’t know everything?” his mother remarked, raising an eyebrow.

“I guess not,” Bryce decided.

“Good,” Mrs. Morven laughed. “It means you have more discoveries to look forward to.”

Bryce beamed at that and followed her as she went to join Dan and Mr. Morven who were looking at the other boats.


	3. Day One: Part Two

Chapter 03: Day One: Part Two

Their exploration soon took them to the Survival Hall where they examined several craft including a jet ski, a lifeboat, and a dinghy called the Edna Mair.

“It says here that six people survived over a month at sea on this little boat,” Dan read.

“I wonder how many of them came back alive,” Bryce pondered.

“All of them,” the curator told them. “But it’s not a very pretty story. They had to do some, shall we say, rather nasty things in order to survive. I won’t say anything more. I’ve found in the past that nearly all of the visitors I’ve told in the past tended to give up their breakfasts. And it’s such a nuisance to clean up after them. So I’ve learned to hold my tongue.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Morven said, gratefully as she led her boys away from the Edna Mair and over to the jet ski.

“I wonder how fast they go,” Bryce considered.

“I wonder if they require a license,” Dan added.

“You’re not getting one,” his father told him, firmly.

“Why not?” Dan wanted to know.

“Well, first off, our home is nearly three hours from the nearest ocean,” Mr. Morven pointed out.

“There’s Bowmoor Lake,” Dan protested. “That’s only thirty-five miles away.”

“Motorized boats aren’t permitted on Bowmoor Lake,” Mrs. Morven told him. “Not even little battery-operated motors. And it takes a lot more than one of those to power a jet ski.”

“I guess you’re out of luck,” Bryce told Dan.

Dan shrugged. He lost interest in the jet ski after that and went to look at the life raft. It was an odd but functional little inflatable contraption which looked like a flimsy tent stuck atop a pair of poorly designed inflatable tires.

“This is a life raft?” He wondered aloud. “I don’t see how it could stay afloat in bad weather after you got shipwrecked in a storm.”

“Maybe it’s for fair-weather shipwrecks?” Bryce suggested.

“How do you have a fair-weather shipwreck?” Dan argued. “That’s stupid, Bryce.”

“Well, I guess the ship could hit a rock,” Bryce countered.

“Bryce,” Dan pointed out, “if the ship was close enough to shore to hit a rock, you wouldn’t need a life raft.”

“You might if you had a child with you who couldn’t swim,” Bryce suggested.

“Why would anyone bring a child onto the ocean if that child couldn’t swim?” Dan asked.

“Yeah, you’ve got a point there,” Bryce conceded.

“You boys ready to head to the next hall?” Mr. Morven asked them as he joined them.

“Sure,” Bryce enthused.

“Why not?” Dan agreed.

“I want to go back to the main hall and watch the ship building,” Bryce told his father.

“We’ll do that at the end of the visit,” Mr. Morven said as he led his family into the Falmouth Gallery.

There were no boats in the Falmouth Gallery. But it did boast a wonderful array of objects which many seafarers had found useful on their voyages. Items ranging from navigational equipment to things found in cooking galleys were on exhibit here for all to see and marvel at.

Bryce and Dan examined each item. Some things piqued their curiosity, while other items made them wonder why such things would be in a museum.

“It’s like archaeological digs,” Mrs. Morven explained when Bryce asked her about a set of plates that were on display. “It means nothing to us today, but in the far future, people may not eat from plates individual plates. So it will be a curiosity for them.”

“I still don’t get why it’s on display here at a boat museum,” Bryce shook his head as he wandered off to look at something else.

Mrs. Morven studied the exhibit a moment longer, then joined her younger son.

“I guess some people just like the minutia,” she told him. “Like people who notice when a table lamp is replaced on the set of Porky’s Landing.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Bryce told her. He sighed, then added, in concession, “but then I guess most of life doesn’t, does it?”

“No,” his mother told him with a sympathetic smile. “But where would the fun be if it did?”

She ruffled his hair, then looked around. “Come on,” she told him. “It looks like the others have already moved on to the next hall.”


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 04: Day One: Part Three

The Morvens’ next stop was the Cornish Quayside Gallery. As they walked in, they noticed a man speaking to a small crowd. The group was held spellbound as he regaled them with the tale of his time as a fisherman.

“Before the sea became too polluted,” the man was telling the crowd, “seiners and trawlers used to go out on long excursions to catch edible fish for up to eight months at a time. During those months, they relied heavily upon each other. The sea is very unforgiving to those who take her for granted. To the careful sailor, she is a mistress. But to the foolish sailor, she can become a widow.”

“What did they do to remain healthy when they were out there for so long?” a girl in the crowd asked.

“Good question,” the retired fisherman said, brightly. “To answer your question, while some ships did have a doctor on board, this was very rare. Most ships carried nautical first aid equipment. Severe injuries could sometimes become fatal if they became infected and could not be treated if supplies of first aid equipment ran out before the person who was injured could be taken home by a supply boat.”

“Why didn’t they just sail to the nearest shore and get the person help?” Dan asked.

“It takes almost a week for a fishing vessel to find a hot spot,” the man replied. “Once you’re out at sea, you stay there. Remember, it’s not only the men on board who made their money from the job they were doing. Canneries, fishmongers, fish factories, to name but a few. They all relied on commercial fishermen to get as big a catch as they could. So, you see, they couldn’t simply leave their assignments for the sake of one person. No matter what.”

Bryce hoped they didn’t ask what happened if someone died. With what he had learned of seafaring so far, he wouldn’t have been surprised if they chopped them up for bait.

Wandering off to another area of the room, he looked at several of the boats he hadn’t paid attention to before.

“Luka,” he read on one bow. He read the simple plaque beside it. “Hm. A practical boat. Nothing really special. But maybe that’s what makes it so. It’s different in its ordinariness.”

“You ready to go?” Mrs. Morven asked. “It’s time to head back.”

Mr. Morven and Dan joined them. 

“Can we stop at a Zik Zak and eat on the way back?” Dan asked.

“We’re stopping at Brewers Fayre,” Mr. Morven told them as they piled into the car, “It was one of the restaurants suggest by the map when I was looking for directions here.”

As they headed out, Mrs. Morven shook her head.

“We should’ve bought a souvenir,” she said.

“Yeah, mom,” Bryce remarked, a touch of amused sarcasm in his voice. “What a wonderful idea Let’s have a memento of all the gross stuff we learned today.”

Dan laughed and the others joined in.

“You know, Bryce,” Dan told him. “I have the feeling that there was more gross stuff that we didn’t learn.”

“Such as?”

“What that guy didn’t say about the Robertsons,” Dan suggested.

“Don’t look it up!” Bryce exclaimed in mock terror. “I don’t want to know!”


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 05: Day One: Part Four

Brewers Fayre was crowded. 

“Popular place,” Mrs. Morven remarked.

“So it would seem,” Mr. Morven agreed. He walked up to the woman at the hostess podium. “Excuse me. Could you tell me what the waiting time is?”

“Ten minutes,” the woman politely replied. “Would you like some menus while you wait?”

“Yes, please,” Mr. Morven decided. He went back to his family with four menus. “She says there’s a ten minute wait.” he explained, handing them out.

“That’s no so bad,” Mrs. Morven shrugged, opening her menu.

“Wouldn’t have to wait at all in Zik Zak,” Dan remarked.

“Of course you would,” Bryce told him. “The line at the one in London was always amazingly long. Not out-the-door long. But still… I always found it interesting that the people who have the hardest time working out what they want to eat are always the ones who wait until they are at the front of the line to start reading the menu board.”

Bryce looked down at the menu and began examining the choices the restaurant had to offer.

A waitress came and led them to a table a little less than ten minutes later. 

“Do you need more time to decide?” she asked once they were seate.

“I’m good,” Mr. Morven told her. “You guys?”

Mrs. Morven, Dan, and Bryce nodded.

“I’ll have the smoky paprika chicken,” Mrs. Morven ordered.

“Good choice,” the waitress, whose name tag read Becky, told her as she wrote it down. Becky turned to Mr. Morven. “And you, sir?”

“I’d like the slow-cooked lamb shank,” he told her.

The waitress nodded as she turned to Dan.

“The smothered chicken,” Dan requested.

Finally, after writing down Dan’s order, Becky turned to Bryce.

“The ultimate filled Yorkshire sausage and mash,” Bryce decided.

“Excellent,” Becky wrote it down. “Would any of you care for drinks?’

Mr. Morven ordered four waters for the table and Becky went off to fill their orders.

“So,” Mr. Morven asked his two sons, “did you boys like the Maritime Museum?”

“Yeah,” Bryce replied. “I thought the boats were really neat.”

“And the stories behind them,” Dan added. “I want to find out more.”

“You just want to see how gross that story about the Robertsons is,” Bryce remarked.

“Damn right,” Dan laughed.

“Don’t swear,” their mother warned.

“Oh, mom!” Dan shook his head. “Damn hasn’t been a proper swear since 1940!”

Mrs. Morven quirked an eyebrow. “Proper swear?” she asked.

Becky came up to the table with an apologetic look on her face and four glasses of water. She looked at Mr. Morven as she set the glasses before them.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she said regretfully. “I’m afraid we’re out of lamb at the moment.”

“What would you recommend?” Mr. Morven asked, not recalling the items on the menu.

“I’m very partial to the Beef and Doom Bar Pudding,” Becky told him.

“I’ll try that, then,” Mr. Morven decided.

“Very good, sir,” Becky said as she returned to the kitchen to place his updated order.

Mrs. Morven excused herself and went to find the loo.When she was gone, her husband spoke to their two sons.

“Please, don’t bait your mother, Dan,” he begged.

“I’ll try not to,” Dan said. “But I’m not promising anything.”

“He said that to me earlier,” Bryce told his father. “I’m still worried.”

“About what?” Mr. Morven inquired.

Dan handed over the camera he’d had in his pocket.

“And you didn’t take pictures in the museum why?” Mr. Morven asked.

Dan slapped his forehead. “Never thought of it,” he admitted. He looked at Bryce. “He’s the brains of this family.”

Mr. Morven studied the camera, then smiled.

“That’s a nice looking panda,” he said. “Looks like someone went through a lot of time and effort to sew it.” he enlarged the image and showed it to Bryce. “See the seem? It’s hand-sewn. You don’t see that these days.”

Mrs. Morven rejoined them. “What are you looking at?” she asked, curiously.

Mr. Morven showed her.

“Oh, it’s lovely!” she exclaimed. “A hand-stitched masterpiece.”

Dan put his head on his arms and shook it in amused defeat.

Bryce patted Dan’s back in equally amused triumph. “It is a nice picture, Dan.”

“We’ll have to blow it up when we get home,” Mrs. Morven decided. “It’ll look nice over the sofa.”

Becky returned with their meals. The smoky paprika chicken with its criss-cross grill marks and wonderful aroma. The yorkshire sausage and mash, a giant pudding made with pork sausages and mash. The beef and Doom Bar pudding, smothered in its wonderful gravy. And the simple but mouth-watering smothered chicken with its bacon and barbecue sauce.

She placed the plates before them, then asked. “Is there anything else you require?”

“No thanks,” Mrs. Morven told her. The other Morvens shook their heads.

Becky went to check on her other tables while the Morvens began to enjoy their meals.

“I think tomorrow we’ll go to Hallegenna after our farm walk,” Mrs. Morven suggested.

“Hallegenna?” Dan asked.

“What’s there?” Bryce wanted to know.

Mrs. Morven smiled. “It’s a surprise,” she told them.

She went back to enjoying her meal.

“How is your sausage?” Mr. Morven asked Bryce.

“Good,” Bryce remarked. “It’s a lot tastier than Zik Zak burgers.”

“This chicken is good, too,” Dan remarked, wiping barbecue sauce from his mouth.

“The paprika chicken is good, too,” Mrs. Morven decided, pushing the small plate of coleslaw toward her husband who happily accepted it. Mrs. Morven didn’t hate coleslaw, but she knew that Mr. Morven absolutely loved it.

They finished dinner in silence, each of them thoroughly enjoying their choices. Soon Becky came by again to check on them.

“Oh, you’re finished,” she remarked. “Would any of you care for dessert? A lot of our customers really enjoy the Caramel Apple Betty and Custard.”

“Oh, no,” Mrs. Morven laughed. “We couldn’t possibly! We’re quite full.”

“It was delicious,” Mr. Morven added. “I’m sure your desserts are just as good, but we couldn’t eat another bite.”

Bryce and Dan both wanted dessert, but a stern look from their mother told them not to even think about ordering, so they shook their heads.

Becky saw the regret in their eyes, and flashed them a look that said “maybe next time” before heading off to get the bill.

Mr. Morven paid the bill with his credit tube, left a tip in old-style cash, and headed out to the car with his family, ready to make their way back to the campsite.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 06: The Farm Walk

When Bryce woke early the next morning. Mrs. Morven had a light breakfast consisting of blueberry muffins and juice. His brother and father were already sitting at the table. Dan had already taken a bite out of his muffin.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Mrs. Morven smiled as Bryce sat down and helped himself to a muffin.

“Why are we up so early?” Bryce yawned.

“I thought it might be nice to see the fog over the moor,” Mrs. Morven explained. “Isn’t it nice?”

Bryce looked at the moor. He had to admit it had an air of mystery about it with the fog hanging there.

“It looks like anything could happen out there,” he told the others.

“And that’s where we’re headed this morning,” Mr. Morven remarked. “Out into the mists of time.”

Dan looked at him.

“Many things have happened on the moon over the years,” Mr. Morven said. “For example, the soul of a magistrate from the seventeenth century named Jan Tregeagle was said to have been condemned to Dozmary pool for eternity.”

“Sounds lovely,” Mrs. Morven remarked.

“Why?” Dan asked.

Mr. Morven turned to his older son. “It was said he made a pact with the Devil.”

“Stupid thing to do,” Bryce commented. 

“It is also said to be the resting place of Excalibur,” Mrs. Morven told them. “And home to the Lady of the Lake who protects it.”

“Hm…” Bryce remarked. “I doubt either legend is actually true. But if they were, do you think it likely that Excalibur is preventing Tregeagle from rising?”

“If they were true, I would think that would be very likely,” Mrs. Morven decided after a moment’s thought. “Excalibur was known for its goodness. So I think it would want to prevent that from happening.”

“I bet the Lady isn’t too pleased at having to share her lake with such an evil man,” Dan added.

“No, I doubt she is,” Mrs. Morven agreed, finishing her muffin. “Eat up, you two,” she said to her sons. “I want to get going. It’s going to be a long trek. At least the ride to Hallagenna will be short.”

“How long will the walk on the moor take?” Bryce asked.

“Four hours round trip,” his mother replied.

“Four hours?!” Dan exclaimed. “I’m going to walk around on a moor for four hours?”

“We all are,” Mrs. Morven replied. “It’ll do us all good to enjoy the plant life and the peacefulness of the place. We spend so much time hurrying and scurrying through life. This will be a treat.”

“If you say so,” Bryce remarked.

They cleaned up their breakfast, placing the paper plates and juice boxes in the trash. Then they headed once more to the gate that led into Bodmin Moor.

“What is all this purple stuff?” asked Bryce who had lived in the city his whole life until he’d been adopted by the Morvens who lived in Swindon.

“It’s called heather,” his mother said. “It’s very common to moors.”

“There’s an awful lot of it, isn’t there?” Dan observed.

“I think the entire moor must be covered in it,” Bryce agreed as they walked on.

Something small and brown flew over their heads, landing in the grass a few feet away.

“What was that?” Dan asked.

Mr. Morven peered towards where it had landed. “Looks like a bird.”

“A bird?” Bryce asked. He looked in the direction his father was peering in and saw the small brown bird as it nipped at the grass and the heather.

“Looks like its enjoying a nice breakfast,” Mrs. Morven remarked.

“I wonder what kind it is,” Mr. Morven remarked. “We’ll have to see if there’s information about them back at the farm.”

Other birds made themselves known as the family continued their trek across Bodmin Moor. Small birds with short beaks. Small birds with long beaks. Even large birds with large beaks could be seen, though there seemed to be fewer of these last.

Bryce, ever inquisitive, could not wait to learn more about them. He hoped he get a chance to before they went to Hallagenna, while he still remembered what they looked like.

At last, after two hours, they began the trek back. Their legs were tired and their feet worn out. Nonetheless, they felt that sense of calm which only a trek across a moor can offer.

“Wasn’t that nice?” Mrs. Morven asked.

“My feet don’t think so,” Dan told her.

“It was very relaxing,” Bryce said. “But it does do a number on the feet.”

“Well, let’s go,” Mrs. Morven said, gesturing toward the car.

“Can’t we just sit around for the rest of the day?” Dan asked.

“You can rest in the car,” Mr. Morven told him. 

Dan and Bryce both decided that arguing would be pointless and climbed into the back of the car.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 07: Hallagenna

The shortest route to Hallagenna took them along unnamed roads. Mrs. Morven had given each of them a landmark to remember.

“We’re supposed to turn left here,” Dan told them as they reached the large farmstead which was just past the turn at Penquite Pet Care. 

Mr. Morven turned the car onto the narrow road. “Now where?” he asked.

“We keep going past East Rose,” Bryce replied. “It’s on the right.”

The ride lasted only six minutes, during which Bryce and Dan each wondered what the surprise was that their mother had promised.

At last they arrived. Getting out of the car, Bryce heard a snuffling noise that was unfamiliar to him.

“What is that?” he asked, looking at his mother in confusion.

“Let’s go see, shall we?” she suggested with a smile.

They followed her through the entrance and into a foyer where the front desk stood.

“Good morning,” the man at the desk said, cheerfully. “Welcome to Hallagenna. Will you be staying for a few days, or simply enjoying the day with us?”

“Just the day,” Mrs. Morven told him.

“Can we stay here,” Bryce asked.

“Perhaps on our last day,” Mrs. Morven considered. “For now, you will have to stay in the Baby Bear Yurt.”

The desk clerk smiled. “I’ve stayed at South Penquite Farm before. It’s quite nice.” 

He quoted the daily price for four and Mr. Morven paid with his credit tube.

Bryce heard the snuffle again. He looked in its direction with a puzzled look on his face.  
The clerk grinned. He loved it when city folk saw their first horses.

Mrs. Morven led her family through the back of the foyer and out into the land beyond.

Bryce and Dan gazed upon it.

“Another moor?” Dan asked, sounding disappointed.

The snuffle once again. Bryce turned in its direction once more. This time his sight was unencumbered by the walls of a building.

And there it was. Standing majestically in the afternoon sunlight. Its coat, almost black at the front save for a stripe of white atop its nose, lightened to a deep brown at its hindquarters which bore a long jet black tail. Its legs were white at the bottom and had a furry fringe over their hooves.

Bryce had never seen an animal that was so large, or so beautiful.  
“What is it?” he asked as another one, this one pure white with fringes that began slightly higher on the legs.

“Horses,” Mrs. Morven told him.

“Horses,” Bryce said, taking note. “They’re amazing looking. Why are they here?”

“Hallagenna is a place for riding horses,” his mother replied with a smile.

“We’re going to ride them?” Bryce asked with wonder and some trepidation. He had no experience with such animals, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to.

Mrs. Morven picked up on her son’s concern.

“You’ll be fine,” she told him. “We’re taking the beginner trail and one of the staff riders is coming with us.”

A woman in her mid forties soon joined them. She saw Bryce’s expression and smiled cheerfully at him.  
“My name is Alice. But my friends call me Peg. Short for Pegasus, since I love horses so much,” she introduced herself, “I take it you’ve never seen a horse before,” she laughed. “They are quite beautiful, aren’t they?”

“Yes,” Bryce agreed. 

“The dark one is called a Shire Horse,” Peg told them. “They were originally bred as cargo horses, since they’re quite strong and able to pull large carts behind them. They were a great help to farmers transporting their goods to markets before the invention of the automobile. Her name is Stella. Would you like to ride her?”

Bryce looked at Stella who was gazing calmly back at him. He could see that, for all her size and powerful look, Stella was a rather docile animal.

“Sure,” he decided. 

“And what about you?” Peg asked Dan. “Which horse do you prefer?”

“The white one,” Dan decided. 

“Stella’s little brother Argent,” Peg told them. “He’s a sweetheart same as his sister.” She looked at Mr. and Mrs. Morven. “I’ll bring around the others for you to pick from.”

The parents soon picked out their horses. Mrs. Morven’s horse was dappled brown, while her husband’s was black haired with white hooves. 

Peg helped each of them use a stepladder to mount their horse. 

“Don’t worry about reining them,” she said as she mounted her own dappled horse. “They’re trained to obey my commands. Just enjoy the ride.”

Peg made a clicking sound as she turned her horse to the trail. The others turned to face her. Then, one by one, they made their way along the dirt path.

Bryce let out a relaxed sigh once he was used to being on such an animal. Despite his initial fear, he couldn’t help feel a sense of peace and tranquility as the horse carried him along. He felt a friendship with it he could not explain.

The horses followed the trail at a collected walk, moving with a lively march to their step.

“It’s amazing,” Bryce remarked. 

Stella gave a snort of agreement as she carried him along.

 

It was Bryce’s opinion, when they returned, that the ride was too short. He wanted to ride Stella again one day. 

“Perhaps one day,” Mrs. Morven told him when he had said so.

“She’ll be here waiting for you,” Peg promised. “I’m glad you all had a great time.”

“Thank you,” each of the Morvens replied as they got into their car and headed back to Penquite Farm.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 08: Wondering

As he lay in bed that night, staring up at the domed tan ceiling of the Baby Bear yurt, Bryce could not help think back on his old life. Things had changed so much for him in the past few weeks. Barely more than a month ago, he had been sitting behind a computer in his studio at Network 23. At night he would always be looking at the same white ceiling, considering what projects he would be working on for Cheviot the next day. Usually these projects had been interrupted by Edison Carter who always seemed to need some help with the preparation for his reports.

Never in those days would he have dreamt of sleeping in such a place as the Baby Bear yurt. Nor would he have thought about visiting a maritime museum. And he had never even heard of the wonderful animals known as horses. 

He wondered how Edison and the others were getting along without him. He could picture Edison getting frustrated at some easily solved puzzle. But that was no longer his problem.

*****

Back at Network 23, in the midst of the crowded city, Edison walked in after finishing his most recent report.

“You got anything on Bryce’s whereabouts?” he asked Theora. He had not been happy when he’d gone to visit Bryce at Healing Home only to discover that the boy had been adopted the day before.

“Edison,” Theora said in exasperation. “Why can’t you just leave him alone for now? I’m sure that if he wants to, he’ll call us. And besides, we don’t even know what his new last name is. There’s no way we could find him.”

Murray joined them, sipping a cup of coffee. “He still obsessed with finding Bryce?”

“Yes, I am,” Edison told Murray. “He’s my friend. I want to know he’s alright.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Murray said, trying to sound reassuring. “I’m sure Healing Home wouldn’t send him off with just anyone. Now, let’s focus. Cheviot wants a follow-up on tonight’s report. He says the ratings were excellent.”

“It’s past ten, Murray,” Theora pointed out. It wasn’t unusual for them to end up working late, particularly when one considered that Edison’s show didn’t end until nine-thirty. These days, Theora was especially tired. In the past, she and Edison had relied heavily on Bryce’s assistance. For now, it seemed, that assistance had been withdrawn. She wondered if it would ever be offered again.

*****

Dan looked over at Bryce and saw that he was still awake.

“Pondering the secrets of the universe?” Dan asked.

“Nah,” Bryce said in a kind of verbal shrug. “I did that when I was ten.”

“Oh?” Dan was interested. “And…”

“The truth is,” Bryce revealed, “that the universe can’t keep a secret. In fact, it’s an outright show-off.”

Dan chuckled. “Oh?”

“Indeed,” Bryce told him, conspiratorially. “Supernovae, comets, natural disasters, cosmic catastrophes, auroras. And just when I think I’ve got a handle on things, it throws horses at me.”

“Horses are amazing, you have to admit,” Dan pointed out.

“Yeah,” Bryce agreed. “Even more incredible than comets.”

“You can’t ride a comet,” Dan said by way of agreeing with him.

“True,” Bryce admitted. “Though I did see a pirate copy of a movie once where a man rode along with a group of asteroids.”

“Sounds like an interesting movie,” Dan commented. “Did it have aliens?”

“Just a beach ball,” Bryce replied after a moment’s reflection.

“I think you’re overtired,” Dan remarked. “Go to sleep. Alien beach ball, indeed.” He rolled over to face the wall. A few minutes later, he was asleep.

Bryce smiled to himself for a moment, then closed his eyes and fell asleep himself.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 09: Back to School: Part One - The Bus

The vacation was cut short by a couple of days when a bad rainstorm, Mr. Morven called it a monsoon, hit the area. Bryce thought his father was exaggerating. It was pretty bad, but he was sure that monsoons were slightly worse.

As he watched the rain through the car window, Bryce thought about what he would do the next day. Dan would probably go back to work a couple days early, so he wouldn’t be around the house to talk with.

“I’ve spoken to the headmistress at Lydiard,” Mrs. Morven told Bryce. “You’ve been accepted to Pascal House for Sixth Form courses there.”

“Mom! I graduated ACS four years ago!” Bryce exclaimed.

“I know, Bryce,” his mother said, sympathetically. “But those people at Network 23 kept you isolated from people your own age since then. I think, I’m hoping that having you attend classes will undo the damage that has caused. You need to make friends your own age.”

“Nobody’s going to like me,” Bryce remarked. “Nobody liked me when I was in grade school. They all shied away from me. Just because I was smarter than them.”

“That was grade school,” Mrs. Morven said. “Kids in high school tend to be a little less afraid of smarter people. In fact, I bet you’ll be very popular once they get to know you.”

“If they even try,” Bryce muttered.

“Hey,” said Dan, putting a hand on Bryce’s shoulder, “you could always offer to help tutor some of them. They’d be really grateful and probably like you better.”

“That’s a good idea, Bryce,” their mother agreed.

“Okay,” Bryce said. “So, will I be starting tomorrow?”

“On Monday,” Mrs. Morven replied. “Tomorrow we’ll be taking you to get your school uniform.”

“Oh, okay,” Bryce said as he went back to looking out the window in thought.

*****

Lydiard’s school uniform was very simple. Black shoes and slacks, and a white shirt with a collar, a black blazer, and an Academy tie. 

Bryce quickly found one in his size and tried it on for his mother.

“Looks good,” she told him with a smile. “Go change back into your regular clothes. Then we can pay for your new uniform and do some grocery shopping. I’ve got to get some milk and butter.”

“And the rest of the store,” Bryce remarked. His mother, like most people who entered a grocery store, tended to buy at least twice as much as was usually on her list. And sometimes what was on said list were the only things she didn’t buy.

*****

On Monday, Bryce showered and put on his school uniform. He button up the shirt to the top, as the school required, and put on his tie and blazer. He smiled at his reflection. He was still nervous about how his classmates would receive him. But at least he felt that he looked good.

“Good morning,” Mr. Morven said as Bryce entered the dining room. “You look good. Nervous?”

“A bit,” Bryce admitted. “I’ve been to college, but I have the feeling high school is going to be very different.”

“I’m sure you’ll be okay,” Mrs. Morven said.

‘What about bullies?” Bryce asked, worriedly.

“If anyone makes you unhappy, you can always talk to the school counselor about how you feel.” Mrs. Morven suggested. “And if they do anything more, you can always go to the school nurse if you need to be patched up. Now, off you go. The bus should be here in five minutes.”

“Okay,” Bryce replied. Mrs. Morven gave him a quick hug. 

“You’re going to be fine,” she told him as he headed out the door.

 

Bryce rushed to the bus stop, which was on the corner of the street about two minutes away. As he stood there, he wondered what his first day back in school would be like.

“New kid!” One of the boys in back exclaimed as Bryce boarded the bus.

“Where are you from?” asked a girl who Bryce guessed was about seventeen.

“London originally,” Bryce told her.

“What brings you out here to Swindon?” the girl wanted to know. She patted the seat beside her invitingly.

“My new family lives here,” Bryce explained. 

“So you’re adopted?” she asked. “My name’s Janet, by the way. Janet Allred.”

“Bryce Morven,” Bryce introduced himself. “Yeah. I was adopted about a month ago.”

“That’s a long wait,” Janet remarked. 

“Actually, it was the staff at Healing House that decided I needed a fresh start. Before that I was working at Network 23.”

“Really?” Janet cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. “How does a high school student get a network job?”

“I’m an ACS graduate, actually,” Bryce explained. “My mom decided that going back to high school would be good for my social life.”

“Hm,” Janet considered. “Well, then… could you help me with science class?”

“Yeah,” Bryce decided. “I think I can do that.”


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Back to School: Part Two… Lydiard: Professor Haberdasher

Bryce’s eyes widened as he looked at his morning schedule. The first two classes staring up at him were Drama/Theater and Music. Just below those was Media Studies followed by Sociology. 

Bryce frowned at the number of “artsy” classes his mother had signed him up for. He supposed it was her way of taking him out of his comfort zone. As he was looking at his schedule and not watching where he was going, he unavoidably collided with a larger student.

“Watch it!” the other boy exclaimed in annoyance.

It was not a great way to meet someone.

“Sorry,” Bryce said, looking up. 

The other boy was probably in his last year, judging by his size. He had a strong build and Bryce wondered if he played some kind of sport in his free time. He hadn’t seen anything about sports being offered at Lydiard, so the other boy must, he decided, play them elsewhere.

“You’re new here,” the older boy observed.

Bryce nodded.

“Well,” the older boy said, “If I were you, I’d watch where I was going rather than staring at your schedule all the time.”

“Right,” Bryce said. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He walked into the Tutor Room for attendance.

“Ah, a latecomer,” the teacher observed. “You must be our new student. Come and introduce yourself. I’m sure we’d all like to know that name of the pupil who decided it would be perfectly acceptable to arrive three minutes late.”

A couple students in the back chuckled and the teacher cleared his throat.

“Please,” he said, “let our new friend speak.”

“My name is Bryce Morven,” Bryce told them. “And I’m sorry for being late. I had a slight collision as a result of not watching where I was going.”

“I see,” the teacher told him. “Well, assuming you can make it to your desk without any further collisions, please have a seat.”

Bryce found a seat near the middle of the class and sat down. He wasn’t sure what to make of this teacher. He was certainly strict and not afraid of calling out a student, even if it meant embarrassing them before the whole class. On the other hand, the man did have a sense of humor, albeit it a slightly dark, and very sarcastic one.

“Now,” the teacher told them. “I am Professor Haberdasher. And before you ask my family surname was originally Hatter. However my father grew tired of people asking him if it was tea-time yet.”

“And Haberdasher is better…. How?” The boy sitting a couple of seats in front of Bryce asked.

“It just is,” Professor Haberdasher stated, as if that settled the matter. “Now,” he added, picking up a rectangular object and parted it near the center, flipping several pieces of thin material until he stopped.

“Is…” one of the students began. “Is that a … book?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Professor Haberdasher told her. “A very old book.”

He closed the book and held it up. The cover was faded and had a number of dark burn marks on it. 

“Unfortunately, it went through a fire shortly after my grandfather bought it for my father after he graduated with top marks in biology.”

Bryce stared at the cover.

“On The Origin Of Species. - Charles Darwin”.

“That’s not the original?!” he gasped.

“No,” the professor shook his head. “Unhappily, that manuscript was lost long ago under uncertain circumstances.”

“I heard it was last seen on his refrigerator,” a boy in the back called out.

“It very well may have been,” Professor Haberdasher said, surprisingly. “The story is that Darwin was the father of ten children. Many of whom thought that On The Origin of Species made an excellent doodle pad.”

“A shame,” Bryce observed.

“If Darwin didn’t mind I don’t see why we should,” Professor Haberdasher shrugged. “Anyhow,” he began walking around handing old fashioned pieces of paper and long sticks which had a pointy tip at one end and a small piece of vinyl on the other.

Holding up a stick of his own, the professor told them all:

“This is a pencil. It is one of the oldest forms of communication. As part of your tutoring time with me, you will learn how to make use of it. As well as this.” He opened the top drawer from his desk and pulled out another rectangular object. This one was bigger than the book and was made of two segments, one narrow and one wide. On each lower segment were a number of beads. On the upper segments there were only one.”

“Does anyone know what this is called?” he asked.

They stared at it in confusion. Even Bryce found the object incomprehensible.

“So much history has been lost,” bemoaned the professor. “This,” he held it up higher to give them a better look. “Is a Japanese abacus. Also known as a soroban. Like the pencil, I am going to teach each of you to use one of these devices. By the end of the school year, you will be able not only write your name in cursive, but you will also know how to perform complex mathematics with one of these.”

“Why?” Bryce wanted to know. “Are computers more efficient?”

“I agree that computers are very efficient,” Professor Haberdasher agreed. “On the other hand, pencils and abaci don’t suddenly lose power in the middle of your work.”

He looked up at the clock. “Well, I can see that it’s just about time to get ready for your First Period classes.”

Bryce stood up, gathered up his schedule and headed off for his next class.


End file.
